Slidable fastening device



May 24, 1932. J. A. H..SIERS SLIDABLE FASTENING DEVICE Filed July 22, 1931 3% R m ow m m w o N M s J m B Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES' SLIDAZBLE FASTENING DEVICE Application filed July 22, 1931. Serial No; 552,314.

This invention relates to fastening devices that have been applied to the margins of con- .necting portions of garments, luggage, etc., which comprise a series of successive interlocking members adapted to be brought tofgether or separated by means of a slidable member which manipulates the interlocking parts in the proper way. 7

The ob'ect of the present inventionis to 10 provide a fastener of the type described that is not only simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but also one that may be applied .to overlapping portions of fabric, leather,

or other materials which may form closures for garments, luggage and other articles, and to arrange the same in such a manner that the overlapping portions of the material to which the fasteners are attached cause the fasteners to become substantially invisible, so that the same are not unsightly and objectionable as-a disfiguring feature of. the

articles to which the are applied.

A further object o my invention is to provide a new form of interlocking members which interlock with great positiveness and are not easily separated except when the operating or slidable member ismoved on them in the proper manner. I 1

For a detailed description of one form of my invention which I at present deem preferable, reference may be had to the following specification, and to vthe accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fi l-is a plan view of my improved interloc 'ng elements and the slidable member which operates thereon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to the central portion of Fig. 1, and showing the elements of the locking devices in section. v

terlocking elements.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the female ing and closing the. fastener, as indicated in PATENT OFFICE It will, of course, be appreciated that the figures of the drawings show the elements and members of the fastening device greatly enlarged, so that their details may be easily seen.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a suitable strip of fabric or similar materiaLpreferably in the form of tape, on which the locking elements 2 and 3 are mounted or fastened. The strips or tapes 1; may be applied'to flexible material such as fabric,,leather etc., in any suitable manner, but, as indicated in Fig. 5, said tapes are preferably stitched to said fabric or members 4 and, 5 which the fastener connects to-' gether.

It is, of course, obvious that my improved fastening device need not necessarily be applied to overlapping portions of fabric, etc., as indicatedin Fig. 5, but, by suitably designing the parts of the fastener which. connect the fabfic, the fastening device may be 'applied to the edges of the fabric as isdone in some fastening devices heretofore known i1 1 the art.

Referring now particularly-to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the female element of the fastener 3 is shown as being-made from a strip of metal which terminates in two prongs or substantially triangular pieces '6 and 7. The remainder of the metallic strip consists of two doubled portions 8 and 9,"to form projections adapted to engage, or clamp on the tape or fabricon which the element is mounted. The central portion of the strip is. also doubled: upon itself, as indicated at 10, forming a transverse flat head which is provided Witha short slot ll. The connecting portions of the female element 3 are prefer ably slightly separated from each other a distance substantially equal to the'width of the slot 11, as indicatedat 12. ,The flanges extending from the doubled portion 10 are adapted to be engaged by the slider for open-- Fig. 5. g

In Fig. 4, the male element of the fastener is also made from a strip of metal, the ends of which are provided with the rongs or triangular portlons 13, and 14. aid strip is also ISSUED doubled on itself to form the projections 15. and 16, said projections also being for the purpose of engaging the tape or fabric upon I form the head or male member of the fastener 19, which is provided with a reduced portion or neck 20, which is adapted to be contained within the slot 11 in the' female member.

The manner in which these members engage each other to form the closure, is clearly illustrated in the lower part of Fig. 2. It

' will be seen from that figure that the female holes 22.

elements 3 are attached, to the tape 1 successively and in close proximity with each other,

the attachment being made by inserting. the,

prongs 6 and 7 through the fabric and then bending the same transversely so that they lie flat upon the underside of said tape or fabric, as is well known in the art. This arrangement of said members causes the successive slots 11-to be in substantial alignment along the length of the tape, and the portion of the head 10 which is continuous beyond the slot, forms what amount to transverse bars 21, which retain the enlarged heads of the male element 19 in position when inserted therebetween, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the member for interlocking and separating the fastening elements, comprises a member preferably made of sheet metal which consists of two similar corresponding parts which are held together by suitable pins or otherwise, which pins may pass through the This member includes a grooved portion 23, the upper end of which branches into the separate grooves 24 and 25, said grooves being formed by the central raised triangular projection 26 through which the holes 22' pass. One half of this member is also provided with a cylindrical part 27, through which a bar 28 of a handle 29 may pass. This handle obviously may be used to move the slidable fastening member ineither direction, to operate the fastening elements. Referring now to Fig. 2, this movement is accomplished, for instance, for closing or interlocking the fastening elements, by causing the head 19 of the right hand element to pass within the slot 11 of the corresponding left-hand element, and since there is an angle, as indicated at 30, between two successive slotted elements, the heads 19 are permitted to enter between the edge of the crossbar 2'1 and the edge of the adjacent crossbar on the next slotted element. As the operating member moves still further upward, its flanges engage the flanges projecting from ments to interlock. The reverse action takes place to separate said elements when the locking member is pulled downward, or toward the bottom of the sheet of the drawing.

By referring to Fig. 5, it will be noticed that the slots 23 in the slidable locking member lie wholly between thesurfaces of the fabric or superposed portions of the flexible material 4 and 5 which are fastened together by the locking elements. The handle 25, the cylindrical loop 27, and the other parts con nected with the slidable locking member, are therefore entirely concealed and are only apparent when it is desired to open or close the edges of the fabric or other material to which the fasteners are attached.

Having thus described this form of my invention, I do not wish it to be understood as being limited to the details of form or specific arrangements of parts herein set forth, for various changes may be made in the design of the fastener without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Vhat I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a fastening'device for flexible material, including a slider and comprising two series of interlocking elements, one series of said elements being provided with enlarged heads and the other-series being provided with openings through which said heads may pass when said elements are separated from each other, the improvement which comprises providing said elements with substantially fiat portions so positioned as to lie adjacent each other when the opposite elements are in engagement, said flat portions forming transverse flanges which are engaged by said slider to cause the respective elements of said series successively to engage and disengage each other.

'2. In a fastening device for flexible material, including a slider and comprising two series of interlocking elements, one series of said elements being provided with enlarged heads and the other series being provided with openings through which said heads may pass when said elements are separated from each other, the improvement which comprises providing said elements with substantially flat portions so positioned as to contact wit those in the opposite series when the elements are in engagement, said flat head portions forming transverse flanges which when said elements are-positioned adjacent each other form substantially continuous lateral ribs which are engaged by said slider tocausethe respective elements of said series successive- 1y to engage and disengage each other.

3. A fastening device for flexible material, comprising two series of interlocking elements cut from sheet material, one series of* said elements being provided with enlarged. heads of doubled material, and the elements of the other series each being provided with a single slot through which one of said head's may pass and within which it is retained, said slots being obstructed respectively by the adjacent cross portions of said elements and allowing the entry and withdrawal of said heads only when adjacent elements are positioned at an? angle to one another.

4. A fastening device for flexible material, comprising two series of interlocking elements cut from sheet material, one series of said elements being provided with doubleQ layers of said material forming enlarged heads, and the elements of the other series eachfbeing provided with a single slot through whichone of said heads may pass and within which it is retained, said slots being obstructed respectively by the adjacent straight cross portions of said elements and allowing the entry and withdrawal of said heads only when adjacent elements are positioned at an angle to each other.

5. A fastening device for flexible material, comprising two series of interlocking elements, the elements of each series belng provided with lateral projections forming bases therefor, superposed pieces of flexible mate-' rial to which'said bases are attached whereby said elements extend at right angles thereto,

and a slidable member lying substantially entirely between said pieces of flexible material and engaging saidelements, the movements of which cause said elements to interlock and to separate'from each other.

6. 'A fastening device for flexible material, comprising two series of interlocking elements, one series of said elements being provided with enlarged heads, and the other seriesbeing provided with openings through which said heads maypass and within which they are retained, said elements also being ments, one series'of said elements beingprovided with enlarged heads, and the other series being provi ed with openings through which said heads may pass and within which they are retained, superposed pieces of flexible material on which said series are respectively mounted so as to extend laterally .therefr9m, andra slidable member engaging said elements and located substantially entirely between the adjacent surfaces of said pieces of material and by the movement of which said series of elements are respectively caused to interlock and to separate from each other. 1 8. A fastening device for flexible material, comprising two series of interlocking (elements, one series of'said elements .being proivided with enlarged heads and the other series being provided with slots through which said heads may pass and within which they are retained, said slots being obstructed respectively by the adjacent elements and allowing the entry and withdrawal of said heads only when said adjacent elements are positioned at an angle to each other, superposed pieces of flexible material on which said series of, elements are respectively mounted so asto extend laterally therefrom, p

and a slidable member engaging said elements and located substantially entirely between the adjacent surfaces of said pieces of material and by the movements of which said series of elements'are res ectively caused to interlock and to separate rom each other. Signed this 21st day of July, 1931.

5 JOHN A. H. SIERS.

59 vided with transverse flanges forming .substantiall continuous ribs and with flat bases exten in at right angles to said elements, said ri s and. said bases forming grooves therebetween, pieces of flexible material on which the bases ofsaid series of elements are respectively mounted so as to extend transversely therefrom and a flanged slidable member adapted to operate in said h 0 grooves on said elements and located be-' tween said pieces of material and by the movements of which said series of elements ,are respectively caused to interlock and to separate from each other. J

7. A fastening device for flexible material, comprising two series of interlocking ele- 

